Sponge squeegee combination

ABSTRACT

A car-cleaning implement (1) comprises a spongy resiliently-flexible liquid-absorbent block (2) having an exposed face (3) for applying soapy water, and its opposite face sheathed with a thin flexible skin (4) which is not water absorbent and is formed with parallel ribs (5) extending between opposite ends of the block. By inverting the block after washing off the soapy water, the ribbed skin can be used to remove water droplets from the painted surface of the car without streaking.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to the washing of extended surfaces open toatmospheric pollution and grime, and is specifically, although notexclusively, concerned with hand-cleaning the paint-work of a motorvehicle.

STATE OF THE ART

The conventional way of cleaning the paint-work of a motor vehicle byhand, is to sponge down the paint-work with water, apply a cleaningagent such as a detergent or soap to the paint-work with a sponge andplenty of water, wash down the paint-work after cleaning with plenty ofwater usually supplied by a hose, and finally wiping residual spots ofwater from the paint work with a chamois leather which removes any freesurface water from the paintwork.

OBJECTION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an improved implement forcleaning an extended surface by hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention an implement for cleaning grime froman extended surface susceptible to atmospheric pollution, comprises aresiliently-flexible block of relatively water-absorbent, spongymaterial having one face exposed for applying a cleaning solution suchas soapy water to the surface to be cleaned, and the opposite facesheathed with a resiliently-flexible, externally-ribbed skin of materialwhich is relatively non-absorbent to water.

The implement enables the cleaning solution to be hand-applied by way ofthe exposed face of the spongy block, and, after the cleaning solutionhas been washed off with clean water, residual drops of the water areremoved by wiping the ribbed face of the block across the surface. Theribs on the face flex to conform to the contour of the surface beneaththe block and act with a squeegee action to provide dams which removewater droplets from the area of the surface over which the ribbed faceof the block is passed, so that the water droplets are removed and aclean and virtually drop-free surface emerges from beneath the block.

PREFERRED FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

In the preferred form of the invention the block has a flat rectangularface on one side, and its opposite side is of generally semi-cylindricalshape and is sheathed with the ribbed skin.

The ribs of the skin conveniently extend parallel to one another betweenopposite end-faces of the block so that they are wiped across the paintsurface in a direction which is transverse to the direction in which theribs extend. However, it is not essential for the ribs to be continuous.Experiments have shown that the implement works equally well where theribs are interrupted or are of non-linear shape such as S-shape, orU-shape.

As one possible example of the shape of ribs which is useable it wasfound that ribs in the form of overlapping capital letters spelling outthe name of the manufacturer and using the letters in staggered linesprovided a satisfactory squeegee action. Whatever shape is chosen forthe ribs, it is preferred that there is continuous band of the ribbedskin in contact with the paint surface when the water droplets are beingwiped off, to prevent the droplets leaving streak-lines on thepaint-work behind the implement.

Suitably the sheath covers the bulk of the generally semi-cylindricalshaped face of the sponge so that the sheath provides a hand-hold forthe block and prevents liquid absorbed into the spong from flooding outover the hand of the user when the cleaning solution is being applied.The semi-cylindrical shape of the block facilitates the ability of theblock to perform a partly wiping action and partly rolling action, asthe user's wrist turns naturally during the wiping movement of the blockover the surface being cleaned.

INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples,with reference to the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a spongy implement for cleaning apainted surface;

FIG. 2 is an under plan view of the implement;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the implement, both ends appearing the same;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing a further design of ribbing on thesheath;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an implement with yet another shape ofribbing on the sheath; and

FIG. 6 shows the implement of FIG. 5 in use wiping surplus water dropsfrom the painted surface of part of a motor vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a cleaning implement 1 which is about 215 mm. long, 105 mm.wide and 75 mm. high. It comprises a soft, resiliently flexible, spongeblock which is water absorbent and which has a flat rectangular face 3shown in FIG. 2. The opposite face of the block is a generallysemi-cylindrical shape to provide a comfortable hand-hold, and issheathed with a non-absorbent resiliently flexible skin 4 which is 2 mm.thick. The skin 4 is provided with external parallel ribs 5 about 2 mm.high and which have a V-shaped section as shown in FIG. 3. the block ismade from an open-cell foam of soft polyurethane, and the skin 4 is madeform closed-cell ethylene vinyl acetate foam.

The skin is cemented to the block by a waterproof adhesive which whenapplied, does not degrade the skin 4 or the surface of the block 2.

VARIATIONS OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As appears from FIGS. 4 and 5 the ribs 5 provided on the skin 4 can havedifferent shapes without detracting from the usefulness of theinvention.

In FIG. 4 the ribs are interrupted to provide short rib sections 6 whichare staggered with respect to the lines of short rib sections in theadjacent rib lines.

In FIG. 5 the ribs are formed by S-shape rib sections 7 arranged inlines and staggered with respect to the ribs in neighbouring lines.

In a further embodiment (not shown) the rib sections are of C-shape withsuccessive rib sections in each line facing in opposite directionsrespectively, and the rib sections in adjacent lines being staggeredwith respect to one another.

In another non-illustrated embodiment, the block 2 is of parallelepipedshape and has one rectangular face exposed, and the other, opposite,rectangular face and adjacent portions of the longer sides of the blocksheathed with the skin which effectively provides two parallel ribswhere it extends over the corners at the longer sides of said oppositeface. The end faces of the block may also be sheathed with the skin ifdesired.

USE OF THE IMPLEMENT

FIG. 6 shows the implement in use to remove water droplets from thepainted surface of a motor vehicle body. The vehicle body has a curvedcontour but the flexibility of the implement enables it to mould itselfnaturally to the painted surface under hand pressure, so that the ribsprovide dams which prevent the water droplets from passing beneath theskin 4 of the implement as it is passed over the wet curved paintedsurface of the vehicle. The painted surface is thus wiped dry in muchthe same way as if the water droplets had been removed by a chamoisleather using the conventional technique.

I claim:
 1. An implement for cleaning grime and wiping liquid from anextended surface, comprising a resiliently-flexible block of relativelywater-absorbent spongy material having one face exposed for applying acleaning solution, such as soapy water, to the surface to be cleaned andwiped dry, and the opposite face sheathed with a relatively thinresiliently-flexible skin of material which is non-absorbent to waterand which is bonded over substantially its entire area to said oppositeface so as to be effectively integral therewith and saidresiliently-flexible skin having non-absorbent V-shaped ridges withsmooth outer edges formed on its outer side to act as effective wipingblades that can bend in three dimensions and wipe liquid from a curvedsurface.
 2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, in which the ridges arespaced and substantially parallel and extended in continuous fashionbetween opposite ends of the block.
 3. An implement as claimed in claim1, in which the ridges are each formed from spaced ridge sections whichare staggered with respect to the ridge sections of the neighboringridges.
 4. An implement as claimed in claim 1, in which the exposed faceof the block is rectangular, and said skin provides a semi-cylindricalhand-hold for the implement.
 5. An implement as claimed in claim 1, inwhich the block is made from soft foam and the skin is made from aclosed cell layer integrally formed with the ridges.
 6. An implement asclaimed in claim 5, in which the material of the block is polyurethaneand the material of the skin is ethylene vinyl acetate or polyethylene.7. An implement as claimed in claim 6, in which the ridges are heatformed onto the skin.
 8. An implement as claimed in claim 1, in whichthe ridges are formed in a random pattern.
 9. An implement as claimed inclaim 1, in which the ridges are formed in a non-random pattern.
 10. Animplement as claimed in claim 1, in which the ridges form letters. 11.An implement as claimed in claim 1, in which the ridges form writingsymbols.
 12. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer edgesof the V-shaped ridges are relatively sharp.
 13. An implement as claimedin claim 1, wherein each of the V-shaped ridges has two lateral surfacesthat converge toward the top of the ridge.
 14. An implement as claimedin claim 1, wherein the block has two lateral faces that join theexposed face to said opposite face and the resiliently-flexible skinwraps around the lateral faces of the block from said opposite facetoward the exposed face and covers a substantial proportion of the areaof the lateral faces.
 15. An implement as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe implement is devoid of metal projections that can engage theextended surface when the implement is in use.
 16. An implement asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the implement is completely non-metallic.17. An implement for cleaning grime and wiping liquid from an extendedsurface, consisting of a resiliently-flexible block of relativelywater-absorbent spongy material having one face exposed for applying acleaning solution, such as soapy water, to the surface to be cleaned andwiped dry, and the opposite face sheathed with a relatively thinresiliently-flexible skin of material which is non-absorbent to waterand which is bonded over substantially its entire area to said oppositeface so as to be effectively integral therewith and saidresiliently-flexible skin having non-absorbent V-shaped ridges withsmooth outer edges formed on its outer side to act as effective wipingblades that can bend in three dimensions and wipe liquid from a curvedsurface.
 18. An implement as claimed in claim 17, in which the exposedface of the block is rectangular, and said skin provides asemi-cylindrical hand-hold for the implement.
 19. An implement asclaimed in claim 17, in which the block is made from soft foam and theskin is made from a closed cell layer integrally formed with the ridges.20. An implement as claimed in claim 19, in which the material of theblock is polyurethane and the material of the skin is ethylene vinylacetate or polyethylene.
 21. A method of cleaning grime and wipingliquid from an extended surface, comprising:providing an implementconsisting of a resiliently-flexible block of relatively water-absorbentspongy material having one face exposed and the opposite face sheathedwith a relatively thin resiliently-flexible skin of material which isnon-absorbent to water and which is bonded over substantially its entirearea to said opposite face so as to be effectively integral therewithand said resiliently-flexible skin having non-absorbent V-shaped ridgeswith smooth outer edges formed on its outer side to act as effectivewiping blades that can bend in three dimensions, gripping the implementin the hand with the resiliently-flexible skin toward the palm of thehand and applying a cleaning solution, such as soapy water, to thesurface to be cleaned and wiped dry, and gripping the implement in thehand with the exposed face of the block toward the palm of the hand andwiping the surface with the resiliently-flexible skin, whereby thewiping blades wipe liquid from the surface.